CRMWA plans second pipeline in Roberts County

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Amarillo, TX - As recently as two years ago, Lake Meredith was one of our area's primary water sources - but with the lake drying up, the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority is planning to do without that source to keep our collective heads above water.

In the northern Texas panhandle, most of our water comes from two main sources: Lake Meredith and the Ogallala, along with a handful of smaller aquifers. But with Lake Meredith at a record low of less than thirty feet, virtually all of our water is groundwater. And CRMWA general manager Kent Satterwhite Says while we have more than enough groundwater to meet our demands, the problem is distribution.

"As the cities' demand increases, and their own local resources start to be used up, we'll probably add another pipeline to our existing pipeline to get more groundwater," says Satterwhite. "We do have more groundwater than anybody else in the nation right now, so we're in good shape as far as water supply - it's just the infrastructure from the groundwater project that's a little short right now."

To compensate for Lake Meredith's falling water levels, the second pipeline would connect the Roberts County Well Field to our main pipeline, which funnels water south to Lubbock. currently, about 60 percent of the water produced in our area goes to Lubbock and surrounding cities, most of which is used for agriculture.

"Some of our cities are barely getting by right now, using their own supplies and such," says Satterwhite. "I think as those supplies are diminished, then they might need to go ahead and pull the trigger on CRMWA II - what we're calling that additional pipeline from Roberts County - but if the lake comes back, that need goes away."

Interestingly, a 2010 regional study from the Texas Water Development Board projects a decrease in groundwater supplies, but an increase in Lake Meredith's levels. If you'd like to see that report for yourself or learn more about aquifer recovery efforts across the state, follow the links attached to this story.

After controversial comments from President Donald Trump over the weekend, multiple teams in the NFL joined together, taking a knee and linking arms during the national anthem to show solidarity to remarks they saw as being divisive.

After controversial comments from President Donald Trump over the weekend, multiple teams in the NFL joined together, taking a knee and linking arms during the national anthem to show solidarity to remarks they saw as being divisive.